The present invention relates to boat cradles and, in particular, to an elevating hoist and storage assembly.
Varieties of boat storage assemblies have been developed over the years for variously supporting the hull of a boat when in dry dock or when moored in the water. For example, the boat may be moored to the stationary dock, but which subjects the boat to wave action and requires the mounting of resilient bumpers to the dock to prevent damaging the boat or dock. A mooring buoy may also be anchored at a point removed from the dock, which permits the boat to move freely with water action. However, a separate boat is then required to access the moored boat.
Some assemblies preferred by many boat owners maintain the boat in a stationary mooring, such as adjacent a dock, for ready access by the owner/operator. In so doing the boat is suspended above the water and potentially harmful wave action. Thus a variety of hoists or elevating cradle assemblies have been developed.
Most such assemblies provide a framework including a number of vertical columns and relative to which a cradle support is elevationally mounted. The cradle typically is raised and lowered via a handwheel driven chain or cable linkage coupled to the cradle. Intermediate pulleys or sprockets appropriately direct the linkage to apply desired lifting/lowering forces. The present Assignee has for many years sold steel and aluminum, boat and pontoon lifts which use single cable lift arrangements and a pair of slide columns.
Applicant is otherwise aware of a two-column assembly shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,284,052. Four column assemblies are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,275,167 and 4,401,335.
While the foregoing assemblies provide many conveniences to most boat owner/operators, the lift capacity of such assemblies has been limited to waters of relatively constant levels. Rivers and many impoundment areas, however, are subject to relatively wide fluctuations in water depth on a seasonal basis. Under some conditions, the water depth may even vary a matter of feet over the course of a single or several days or weeks.
It is with the latter types of waterways in mind that the present improved lift assembly was developed. This assembly not only accommodates wide depth fluctuations, but also is capable of supporting weight capacities from 3,000 to 8,000 pounds.